A New Era for Rigid Plastics: Now Recyclable at Syklo’s Plastics Recycling Facility in Finland

02.06.2026 -

Circular economy pioneer Syklo Oy has joined forces in an extensive pilot with leading players across the waste management sector. Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto Oy, Kymenlaakson Jäte Oy, Etelä-Karjalan Jätehuolto Oy, Kiertokaari Oy, Rosk’n Roll Oy Ab, Napapiirin Residuum Oy, Kiertokapula Oy and HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority are building responsible waste reception and want to lead the way in their field by enabling the collection of rigid plastics and their use as raw material for new products. The companies share a common mission: to circulate all rigid plastics in Finland.

Facts about rigid plastics

The separate collection and recycling of rigid plastics is necessary to support planetary resilience. Recycling reduces the need for virgin fossil raw materials, lowers emissions from plastic production and diverts material from incineration back into use, extending its lifecycle. At the same time, the volume of waste sent to incineration decreases, and materials can be processed into higher-value raw materials. While rigid plastics are less likely to spread into the environment than lighter plastics, collecting them also helps prevent the formation of microplastics over the long term.

Where do rigid plastics currently end up?

In Finland, rigid plastics currently end up mainly in energy recovery. Over 80 per cent of plastic waste is incinerated in waste-to-energy plants, meaning the material is lost from circulation and must be replaced with new virgin raw material. Only a small share of rigid plastics has been recycled due to limited downstream processing routes. As a result, not all waste management companies have been able to offer clear separate collection processes for consumers and businesses. Some operators have already offered separate collection for rigid plastics, while others are now actively developing their processes to enable recycling.

What does this mean for consumers?

Rigid plastics (also referred to as plastic items) can be recycled at the waste reception sites of the companies participating in the pilot. Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto Oy, Kymenlaakson Jäte Oy, Etelä-Karjalan Jätehuolto Oy, Kiertokaari Oy, Rosk’n Roll Oy Ab, Napapiirin Residuum Oy, Kiertokapula Oy and HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority also provide guidance on rigid plastics collection on their websites. The collected rigid plastics are delivered for further processing into new raw materials. Syklo’s plastics recycling facility is one potential destination.

All rigid plastics in Finland into circulation

Around a year ago, Syklo announced a major investment. The company, which is building an export business based on recycled raw materials, revealed plans to construct Finland’s largest plastics recycling facility and a biocomposite plant in Hyvinkää. The total investment amounts to approximately EUR 70–80 million. The joint project is unique in scale internationally and takes Finland’s circular economy expertise to a new level. The plastics recycling facility alone will increase Finland’s plastics recycling capacity by 50 per cent and reduce Finland’s calculated greenhouse gas emissions by over 100,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.

The end product of the plastics recycling facility, Sykloplast recycled plastic pellets, is sold directly to customers in the plastics industry. The same material can also be used as a raw material at the adjacent biocomposite plant. Syklocomp masterbatch biocomposite can be used as a reinforcing material in, for example, the packaging, electronics and transport industries. It can replace traditional reinforcements such as talc or glass fibre, reducing the carbon footprint of reinforced plastics and enabling the use of recycled raw materials in reinforcement.

Test runs of the facility complex will begin in summer 2026.

Examples of rigid plastics include:

Buckets, tubs, plastic baths, sledges, storage boxes (e.g. meat crates and moving boxes), barrels and canisters. Rigid plastic can be identified by the recycling codes 02 PE and 05 PP.

Do NOT place the following in rigid plastics collection:

Packaging for hazardous waste, PVC plastics, film plastics or consumer plastic packaging.

Visit the campaign page to know more about recycling rigid plastics.

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